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While I do empathise with folks on the West coast who want more time-friendly feeds... Slightly less than half of the HBO/Cinemax HD channels will be 3-hours-delayed duplicates (East vs West feeds)... so it seems a shame to use precious HD bandwidth for 26 channels when about 16 would really show all the unique content HBO/MAX has to offer.

In the long-term, having East and West feeds is good... but while bandwidth is at a premium I think most folks would rather have unique first before duplication.

Probably also worth mentioning here... In the several years of HBOHD, they still are not showing 100% original-aspect-ratio when showing HD... and still produce some in-house programming in SD and upconvert. With the semi-regular complaints I see about this, I wonder how they will actually use HD on all their channels to be of value?

Personally... Rather than just having 26 HD "simulcasts" of their SD... I would much rather see them just introduce something like HBOHD/HBO2HD/MAXHD/MAX2HD, and on those 4 channels show nothing but HD all the time. That would seem a more efficient and better quality product.

Probably also worth mentioning here... In the several years of HBOHD, they still are not showing 100% original-aspect-ratio when showing HD... and still produce some in-house programming in SD and upconvert. With the semi-regular complaints I see about this, I wonder how they will actually use HD on all their channels to be of value?

Personally... Rather than just having 26 HD "simulcasts" of their SD... I would much rather see them just introduce something like HBOHD/HBO2HD/MAXHD/MAX2HD, and on those 4 channels show nothing but HD all the time. That would seem a more efficient and better quality product.

How is that more efficient? They have to come up with programming for the HD channels? And why would they want to relegate some of their original programming to back-water (SD) channels.

But, I have seen more OAR on HBO recently. Including movies I know I have seen not OAR in the past. I think the HBO tide is turning.

How is that more efficient? They have to come up with programming for the HD channels? And why would they want to relegate some of their original programming to back-water (SD) channels.

If you don't think my suggestion for only 4 HD channels is efficient, how in the world is 26 HD channels efficient?

My point was that there is not enough HD on HBO to fill 4 channels, much less the 26 they will convert to soon.

As for "relegating" their original programming to "back-water" SD channels... Well, what's the point in showing them on an HD channel if they are not HD? Showing SD on an HD channels only waters down the HD channel! If they really want their original programming to shine, and want to put it on their HD channel... then they should make it in HD!

While I do empathise with folks on the West coast who want more time-friendly feeds... Slightly less than half of the HBO/Cinemax HD channels will be 3-hours-delayed duplicates (East vs West feeds)... so it seems a shame to use precious HD bandwidth for 26 channels when about 16 would really show all the unique content HBO/MAX has to offer.

In the long-term, having East and West feeds is good... but while bandwidth is at a premium I think most folks would rather have unique first before duplication.

I would fully agree with you there. I live in the Pacific time zone and I could care less about west coast feeds of movie channels. Orig. programing, prime time shows (as in networks, etc.) is another story. But with movie channels I record them, so I don't care if they're on at 3am.

However, in the big picture the cable companies do not necessarily carry east and west coast feeds. Many of them carry only the west feeds only. So HBO needs to feed HD channels to those customers. Us on satellite are lucky to have both time zones.

However, in the big picture the cable companies do not necessarily carry east and west coast feeds. Many of them carry only the west feeds only. So HBO needs to feed HD channels to those customers. Us on satellite are lucky to have both time zones.

That's true... It makes sense if a cable company carried just east or west as appropriate... but I think the cable companies usually carry both east/west feeds regardless of where they are instead of just picking the one and saving the bandwidth.

Of course if something else floating in the rumor mill (may be official but I am not sure since I just saw it in passing), and HBO is considering moving to MPEG4 instead of MPEG2, then perhaps bandwidth is not an issue for them anymore.